"Guess…who…"
Rory laughed as he felt hands cover his eyes. "Uhm grand dad'?" He joked as he turned towards the person. His smile widened as he saw Harmony, one of the most beautiful girls he had set his eyes on. She was truly stunning. Her blue eyes, her dashing smile, and her extraordinary personality was enough to make him weak in the knees. When he had traveled to New York after graduation from McKinley High School in Ohio, he had expected to be shipped home to Dublin almost immediately. However, his parents lacking a fund for him, Rory was taken in by a fellow New Directions member until he could get on his feet. Kurt Hummel had been nothing but completely kind to him. Even when his boyfriend Blaine Anderson joined them after he graduated a year later, Kurt had helped Rory find a job at a local coffee shop. He began working full time and a year later, he was still doing the same thing. However, when Kurt started bringing Harmony Pearce, former Unitard star and fellow co-worker of Kurt's at a small clothing shop, Rory found himself growing more and more fascinated with the brunette. The thought that she even asked him to go out for the coffee was over his head, but how could he even begin to say no?
"Even better.." Rory smiled, feeling a slight blush overcome his face. Harmony playfully rolled her eyes as he guessed, revealing her hands and giggling as he got off of the bench. She couldn't help but have a huge smile plastered over her face, not able to look away from his blue eyes as he talked.
"How was school yeser'day?" Rory asked as he stood and walked over to her side, his Irish accent peaking out as strong as ever. As they started walking, he kept his eyes either on his feet or on the side of her face as she spoke. The good part about spending time with Harmony was that she liked to talk. It was something she was really good at. Rory on the other hand, he was shy and spoke only when needed too.
"School was fine! Acting classes are always interesting, but they are getting..you can say complicating now that Rachel Berry is at Julliard officially. However, I won't let that drown my spirits! Auditions for the year are coming up and I will be auditioning at full potential.."
"That all sounds so exciting" He smiled as she finished. He laughed along with her, but frowned when she shivered. "Are you cold?" He asked as he removed his jacket. Harmony touched her nose, feeling its coldness and soon realized how cold she herself was. She bit the inside of her mouth when she saw that Rory also noticed, giving him her jacket. "Here, take this it will help" He smiled as he put it around her shoulders and rubbed her arms with his hands.
"Well, thank you.." Harmony bashfully peeped out.
As they continued to walk on, Harmony turned to him curiously. For someone so interesting, he didn't seem to like to talk about himself as much. That was shown as a challenge for Harmony and something she would soon break him of.
"So tell me about work. How do you like the coffee shop? Okay?"
Rory laughed as he thought about work. "It's hard to understand my boss sometimes. He speaks so fast and his accent is so thick" He laughed as he looked at his hands. "But overall it's alright. I always get there early, but lately he's been asking me to work till close which is always late. I hope I can get higher up and become a waiter soon or something. But I doubt that because people can't understand me." He sighed as he looked at her. Harmony nodded at Rory talked, realizing fast just how thick his accent was. She didn't mind whatsoever; in fact she found it rather cute and interesting to listen to. When he mentioned about his wanting to move higher but wouldn't because of his accent, Harmony couldn't help but notice her features drop at the thought. Though it was realistic of him to think that way, she hoped he wasn't giving up too quickly.
"Speaking of coffee" Rory paused as he looked around. "May I buy you some?" He asked as he blushed. He didn't want to over step his boundaries by just assuming that it would be alright. He was always raised to ask if he was never sure. He noticed that the men here were a bit more 'take what they want and go'. But Rory could never be like that, he was too shy.
Her nose scrunching up, her head cocked to the side when he asked her to get coffee. Harmony grinned again, holding his jacket tighter to her cheat against the cold air.
"I'd love to.."
"Yeah?" Rory smiled as he looked over at her. "Alright let's go" He said as he put his arm around her and tried to warm her up again. Even if this was just as friends and Harmony had no interest in him, just spending the time with her would be enough for Rory. Harmony's heart melted when they started to walk towards the closest coffee shop, not the one the boys worked at, and he put his arm around her small shoulders. It was warm, of course, but also very inviting to her. Rory was like someone she'd never met and wanted to get to know more of, maybe even everything about. She curtsied jokingly as he opened the door to the shop open for her, the warm aroma reminding her of back in Ohio. Her eyes widened as he asked her about what she wanted, putting a hand on her hip.
"Don't make fun of me, but I just like regular hot chocolate. Nothing fancy."
Once they made their way to a local coffee shop, Rory held the door open for her as they walked in. "What would you like?" He smiled as they stood in line. Once he had her order, he pointed to a seat and nodded to her to sit down. As he waited in line he couldn't help but keep looking back at her. He swore he could have just watched her staring out the window forever. The way the sunlight hit her profile was stunning. He would have given anything to know what she was thinking. Nodding back at him, Harmony took a seat by the window, looking out into the fast paced city she loved so much. Living in New York for a full year, it was everything she had dreamed of and more. Though she did have one downfall, Harmony was bound determined to keep moving and try to get back to the determined girl she was in high school. However, when Rory wasn't looking, she couldn't help but glance over at him. Maybe a bit too long. He was so gentle and kind…he made her want to be a better person.
When it was his turn to order, he stepped up and smiled. The first time he said what he wanted, the woman behind the counter looked at him puzzled and politely asked him to repeat. Rory nodded, slowly saying it again as he waited for her to understand. After the fourth time he was getting flustered. "Harmony?" Rory called as he waved the girl over. "They can't understand me" He pouted as he moved away towards the waiting area.
A yell for her name shook her out of her thoughts, seeing Rory looking at her frantically she jumped up, heading for the counter. Hearing what the problem was, Harmony pouted her lip, sighing to herself. Poor Rory. Why was it so hard for people to understand him? Putting a hand on her hip, she walked up to the counter, putting her hand on the glass. She read the order over again, the young woman nodding as she punched on the keys. As Harmony reached in her pocket and handed over the money for the drinks, her head cocked to the side curiously as the woman whispered to her.
Rory couldn't help but overhear the woman speak to Harmony. "Is your brother single? Could I get his number?" She asked as she handed Harmony the change.
A ping ran through her. Was she jealous? Nevertheless, Harmony put her hand out for her change, grinding her teeth. "Does he look like my brother, ma'am? And no he's not single…I mean, well…he IS, but he's not taking numbers. If he changes his mind, I'll have him find you on Match or E-Harmony, okay?"
Nodding, Harmony spun around quickly and grabbed Rory's arm quickly, heading back to their table. He laughed a bit to himself as Harmony answered her, looking away quickly as she walked over next to him. "Thank you..sorry" Rory mumbled, a bit embarrassed at the overall situation.
"Don't apologize, that woman CLEARLY can't hear right." Harmony mumbled as she pulled him fiercely to the table she had been at before the fiasco. Huffing to herself, she tried to shake it off. She was damn spunky when she needed to be, that was for sure. Handing him his drink, she sat down opposing him at the table, adjusting herself in her seat. "Anyways, I'm sorry. I just didn't like how that lady…talked about you."
Rory couldn't help but smile at Harmony's reaction. Was she jealous? Maybe just protective. Either way, it was cute. He couldn't help but notice the way she smiled and her eyes would light up. "It's alright" Rory nodded as they sat down. "I'm pretty sure I wouldn't choose her out of everyone in this room" He smiled as he took a sip of his coffee. There was something nice sitting here with her. It felt like they were old friends reconnecting. "Besides, you're much prettier than she is" He mumbled as he looked out the window. Rory's words seemed to calm her down; especially the 'you're much prettier' seemed to linger longer in her mind. It made Harmony sit up more in her chair, piercing her lips together, trying to hide her growing smile. This was nice, the two of them spending time together outside of Rory, Blaine, and Kurt's apartment. Though it was home-y and fun for watching movies and hanging out, it was good to get to know Rory without Blaine and Kurt peeking over her shoulder. Just Rory. "So, tell me about you. Where are you from? Why did you choose to be a singer and actress?" Rory asked as he put his coffee down and gave Harmony his full attention. He paid careful attention to her words, making sure to remember all the little details. As he asked the questions about her life, Harmony answered them in full like always. She proceeded to tell him that she was born in Indiana, but moved to Ohio when she was six years old. She began performing just around that age, doing everything possible that her family would let her do. Singing, dancing, tap-dancing, ballet, and of course Acting. It was simple; it was her absolute most passion. Though she had made some decisions in the past, and trusted people that she shouldn't have, she was ready to get back on the horse again. Harmony tried to steer clear of any questioning towards 'who she trusted'; it wasn't something she wanted to talk about…nor had she talked about with anyone. Her eyes lingering to the table, she perked up when she finally heard him speak, asking her about her love life.
"What about a boyfriend?" Rory asked, looking down at his hands. "Do you fancy anyone?" He smiled up at her. There was a small part of her that would say 'you' but he knew he shouldn't get his hopes up.
"Love life? Pretty much non-existant. Here and there in high school, but nothing too serious.." Harmony's eyes lit up, the sides of her mouth curving as her words lingered from her lips. "But, I don't know. There might be someone.."
"Yeah?" Rory asked as he straightened up in his chair. "Are you going to tell me who it is?" He asked raising an eyebrow at her as he took another sip of his coffee. Who could it be? Someone from her acting class? It shouldn't really matter, she liked who she liked. He had no influence on it. When she asked him if he had his eye on anyone he laughed. "Well, that woman did want my number" he winked. Harmony pierced her lips together, knowing she shouldn't have let the words pass her lips. Now he was going to ask her about it. When mentioning the woman wanting his number, her eyebrow raised as she crossed her arms in front of her. "Well she might have, but the relationship wouldn't last too long. She didn't understand a damn word you said. I see it pointless." "I'm only joking" He smiled as he placed his hand on hers. Putting her hand on the table, Harmony's eyes sparkled when he laid his down on top of hers. Whoa… A shiver went almost instantly down her spine, her hair standing on ends. It was like all her troubles had melted away. It was like nothing she'd ever felt before from anyone. Instant bliss. When he took it off of hers, she took her hand back and placed it in her lap. Rory had to remind himself to remove it, almost will himself. Did she feel that spark too? He wondered. He looked away embarrassed as he placed his hands on his lap. "How's your hot chocolate?" He asked as he gave her a small smile and got the courage to look up at her again. When he looked back up at her, she smirked at the whipped cream on the edge of his nose. "Well I guess you like yours a little more than I like mine. Come here.."
Harmony leaned up out of the chair, reaching out to wipe the small bit off the edge with her thumb. Leaning back, she grinned wildly to herself. Geez, what was this she was feeling? Quickly taking another sip, Harmony moved around in her chair again.
"Well now that we know my mom is Rae and my dad is Pete and I'm an only child from Ohio and yada yada…let's talk about you, Mr. Ireland. Where are you from? Who's your family? Tell me about you."
I don't really like talking about me but…." Rory paused as he smiled at her. "Well, I'm from a small town in Ireland" He paused again as he looked down at his hands. This was where he told her that he was poor and she laughed at him. He could always lie and make up some great story, but that wasn't like Rory at all. He would never lie to a friend, especially to Harmony.
"Well, to be honest, we didn't have much growing up" He sighed as he looked away in shame. "My Pa worked 3 jobs every day and my Mum worked 2. I had an older brother who took care of me a lot and then I helped take care of my younger brother Alec. When I was a freshman I got chosen to come here to America for high school for a program, and my parent's didn't have enough money for the plane ticket home, so I'm here until they can. Or until I can save up enough money" He shrugged as he looked up at her.
"You can laugh at me if you want" He sighed as he looked down at his coffee. "I know it's a bit funny, being the poor kid an' all" He said, giving her a quick smile.
Listening to Rory's story, Harmony put a fist under chin, giving him her one hundred percent attention. He was so interesting, and sure it hurt her to think his family had struggled in life, but doesn't everyone struggle in one way or another? She smiled at the thought of Rory being a middle child, always wishing she had another sibling to look up to or to teach about herself and the ways of the world. Harmony looked down at her hands, biting the inside of her mouth as she thought. She hated the thought that she hadn't even known he had been in the New Directions. She knew of Rachel, being her biggest competition, but the rest were fuzzy. To have known she could have had these great friends, especially Rory, longer than she has had then saddened her. Her head shot up, her forehead crinkling as he told her it was okay to laugh at him. She was stunned. Did she seem like the kind of person to laugh at him? Leaning forward, Harmony made sure to keep complete contact with his blue eyes.
"Rory…why would I laugh at that? Why would I laugh at you? I would never.. You think I'm made of money?" Harmony looked down at her lap, grinding her teeth together.
"I hope I haven't come across as some arrogant, rich girl, cause I'm not. I'm not Rory. You can talk to me about whatever you want to, I'm not going to judge you." Harmony couldn't help but feel a ping of sadness in her head. This wasn't the person she wanted to be thought of as.
"No no no." Rory said frantically as he stood up and moved to the seat next to her. "I didn't mean to make you sound bad" he said as he pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry. I guess how I was treated in highschool, I figured it would just be natural reaction" He said as he smoothed his hand over the back of her hair. He didn't really want to let go, it was like Harmony fit into his arms perfectly. He sighed as he let go and smiled at her. "Can we start over?" He laughed, biting his lower lip. "I'm Rory and people can never understand me when I speak" He chuckled as he held out his hand for her to shake.
Harmony couldn't help but laugh when he held out his hand for her to shake. He obviously felt bad for assuming she would laugh at him, but she just wanted to make it perfectly clear that she wasn't that kind of person. She might have been at one time. Arrogant and a snob to try and get what she wanted, but she wanted to think she was being a better person. God knew she had enough happen to her that she wanted to change. She sniffed, holding a gentle hand out in front of her, a small giggle leaving her chest.
"My name is Charlotte.."
The name leaving her lips felt chalky and unfamiliar. She was used to writing it, but she never heard it much anymore. However, she felt like she needed to share it with him. It was a personal part of her that she thought he should have.
"Harmony is my middle name. My real name is Charlotte.."
Shrugging her shoulders, she shook his hand lightly, the sparks fluttering through her heart once again.
"Charlotte" Rory whispered as he smiled up at her. "That's a beautiful name" He nodded as he stood up. He smiled as he held his hand out for her to help her up. He bit his lower lip as she took it and couldn't help but smile at her.
There had to be something between them. This was only the beginning. The beginning of a beautiful relationship.